I have the Delta Gold card and it is due to renew at the end of the month. I originally got the card because my Medallion status ended and I wanted to keep the priority boarding and checked baggage benefits. Shortly after it ended, American Airlines offered me the trial Platinum status. I was able to meet the challenge and it has been renewed through next January.
With the trips I have planned for 2019, I'm going to fly American because of the perks (besides delays, tight connections...
) I'm giving myself about a 50/50 shot that my Platinum status will be renewed again next year.
Delta is the other major player at my local airport, so I don't necessarily want to be shut out should some unforeseeable travel be needed, but I also don't want to pay the annual fee if I may not use it again this year.
Question is: if I downgrade to Blue, will Amex allow me to upgrade back to Gold say next February (for example) and would I need an upgrade offer in the account to do so? At this point, I don't want to get any more inquiries until absolutely necessary (I can spare plenty though), and I don't want to close the Blue and then reapply for a new tradeline with Gold or higher tier.
The alternative is I could just keep the card and try to rack up statement credits on any deals to cover the fee, which I suppose isn't a bad thing either.
Thanks for reading this and for any advice!
My condolences for switching over to Oneworld. 
Joking aside, as long as the card is at least a year old (which it is since you're renewing) you can move the card around between any of the four personal Delta cards: Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. If you do product change to another card, keep in mind that you will become ineligible for a welcome offer if you were to ever apply for that card again. Otherwise, there are zero problems with your plan. You don't need an upgrade offer to move up later and Amex never does an inquiry for product changes (and in almost all cases now, they don't even do so for new card applications for existing cardholders).
If you decide to do this, I would tell them that you're thinking of downgrading your card because it is not currently meeting your needs, and ask if there are any offers available for the card. They may bribe you to stay put with a statment credit or SkyMiles offer for $x spend on the card in y days. Worst case, you downgrade to Blue for now and keep the account giving you options later. And as you stated, Amex Offers can often offset the annual fee on cards.
Enjoy your Platinum status with AA, by the way!
@K-in-Boston wrote:My condolences for switching over to Oneworld.
Joking aside, as long as the card is at least a year old (which it is since you're renewing) you can move the card around between any of the four personal Delta cards: Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. If you do product change to another card, keep in mind that you will become ineligible for a welcome offer if you were to ever apply for that card again. Otherwise, there are zero problems with your plan. You don't need an upgrade offer to move up later and Amex never does an inquiry for product changes (and in almost all cases now, they don't even do so for new card applications for existing cardholders).
If you decide to do this, I would tell them that you're thinking of downgrading your card because it is not currently meeting your needs, and ask if there are any offers available for the card. They may bribe you to stay put with a statment credit or SkyMiles offer for $x spend on the card in y days. Worst case, you downgrade to Blue for now and keep the account giving you options later. And as you stated, Amex Offers can often offset the annual fee on cards.
Enjoy your Platinum status with AA, by the way!
+1
Out of curiosity did you get a targeted promotion for AA platinum or did you do the pay for play challenge ?
I have a lot of flights booked on AA already in Business or Domestic first and haven’t been able to get either offer.
@Shadowfactor wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:My condolences for switching over to Oneworld.
Joking aside, as long as the card is at least a year old (which it is since you're renewing) you can move the card around between any of the four personal Delta cards: Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. If you do product change to another card, keep in mind that you will become ineligible for a welcome offer if you were to ever apply for that card again. Otherwise, there are zero problems with your plan. You don't need an upgrade offer to move up later and Amex never does an inquiry for product changes (and in almost all cases now, they don't even do so for new card applications for existing cardholders).
If you decide to do this, I would tell them that you're thinking of downgrading your card because it is not currently meeting your needs, and ask if there are any offers available for the card. They may bribe you to stay put with a statment credit or SkyMiles offer for $x spend on the card in y days. Worst case, you downgrade to Blue for now and keep the account giving you options later. And as you stated, Amex Offers can often offset the annual fee on cards.
Enjoy your Platinum status with AA, by the way!
+1
Out of curiosity did you get a targeted promotion for AA platinum or did you do the pay for play challenge ?
I have a lot of flights booked on AA already in Business or Domestic first and haven’t been able to get either offer.
I got a targeted promotion. It worked really well because of business travel I had in the spring. My company likes the most um...economical flights (i.e. never heard of a connection they didn't like) ...so I was able to meet the segment and trip requirement very easily.
That’s how my company is. They base the rates off American Airlines Main Cabin. I’ve actually been flying to ORD to start my flight as I can fly business for the cost of main cabin if I position to ORD.
My home airport isn’t small but it’s not exactly a focus city for anyone. WN definitely has the biggest presence but I despise WN. I think that’s part of the reason I don’t get any of these targeted promotions.
My home airport isn’t small but it’s not exactly a focus city for anyone. WN definitely has the biggest presence but I despise WN. I think that’s part of the reason I don’t get any of these targeted promotions.
@K-in-Boston wrote:My condolences for switching over to Oneworld.
Joking aside, as long as the card is at least a year old (which it is since you're renewing) you can move the card around between any of the four personal Delta cards: Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. If you do product change to another card, keep in mind that you will become ineligible for a welcome offer if you were to ever apply for that card again. Otherwise, there are zero problems with your plan. You don't need an upgrade offer to move up later and Amex never does an inquiry for product changes (and in almost all cases now, they don't even do so for new card applications for existing cardholders).
If you decide to do this, I would tell them that you're thinking of downgrading your card because it is not currently meeting your needs, and ask if there are any offers available for the card. They may bribe you to stay put with a statment credit or SkyMiles offer for $x spend on the card in y days. Worst case, you downgrade to Blue for now and keep the account giving you options later. And as you stated, Amex Offers can often offset the annual fee on cards.
Enjoy your Platinum status with AA, by the way!
I spoke with a very helpful representative and explained my situation. He promptly offered to process my downgrade today. This is the one card I rarely use, and the only spend was for the SUB. Oh well, I'd rather put the spend on my Hilton card, which still has the Aspire upgrade offer tantalizing me. Now I'm trying to discern if I should move the max limit allowed from the Delta card to the Hilton. I'm eligible for CLI consideration on my account at the end of February.
The Platinum status was very useful flying back stateside from London and for a couple personal trips before the holidays.
Thanks again for everyone's advice!
@K-in-Boston wrote:My condolences for switching over to Oneworld.
If you do product change to another card, keep in mind that you will become ineligible for a welcome offer if you were to ever apply for that card again. Otherwise, there are zero problems with your plan.
Touching on this for a minute, with the recent popups claiming ineligibility on SUBS for some people. It may not even matter anymore.
Though it may be worth apping for the card first to see if you can get the SUB, and if not just PC it.
As for One World, it works out better than Delta has for me.
Welcome Offer eligibility is certainly case-by-case. In just the past 15 months, I've had:
- Delta Platinum 70k + 10k MQM + $100
- Delta Reserve 70k + 10k MQM
- Delta Platinum Business 50k + 10k MQM
- Delta Platinum 10k retention
In the same time period, DW has had:
- Delta Gold 60k + $50
- Delta Reserve 70k + 10k MQM
- Delta Platinum upgrade 15k
All but the first listed card for each of us has been since October.
Delta Blue SUB language has always excluded any cardholders of Delta Gold, Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve. The SUB on Blue is really SAD, not worth the HP. Downgrade makes the most sense, keep the account active.
For Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve, unless you get a really nice upgrade offer, those should be new apps, not upgrades, to get the SUB.
For Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve, unless you get a really nice upgrade offer, those should be new apps, not upgrades, to get the SUB.
